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Indigenous Veterans Day is observed each year on November 8 to honour the important contributions made by more than 12,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis Veterans in service to Canada.
Many Indigenous men brought valuable skills with them when they joined the military. Patience, stealth and marksmanship were well-honed traits for those who had come from communities where hunting was a cornerstone of daily life. These attributes helped many of these soldiers become successful snipers (military sharpshooters) and reconnaissance scouts (men who stealthily gathered information on enemy positions). Another interesting role they played was that of "code talker." Men like Charles “Checker” Tomkins of Alberta translated sensitive radio messages into Cree so they could not be understood if they were intercepted by the enemy. Another Cree-speaking "code talker" would then translate the received messages back into English so they could be understood by the intended recipients.
For more information: https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/people-and-stories/indigenous-veterans
Thank you to all Indigenous Veterans for their service and sacrifice.